Critical Evaluation of the Methods Adapted by Sports Governing Bodies to Ensure Anti-Doping Doping has been recognised as one of sports major issues. The IOC
issued a press release from Lausanne on 8th July 1999 wherein it
stated:
"The IOC wishes to reiterate its total commitment to the fight against
doping, with the aim of protecting and preserving fair play in sport.
Any declarations which go against these principles are both wrong and
misplaced."
Critically evaluate the methods adopted by sports governing bodies to
ensure this commitment is achieved.
Sports governing bodies have been trying to eliminate cheating from
sport for many years. Eliminating cheats from sport has proved to be a
very complicated area, with the development in technology it would be
thought that governing bodies would have developed techniques for
identifying cheats. But the increase in financial rewards for
professional athletes to win has meant that they are even keener to
achieve success. Sometimes this is achieved through pure hard work and
commitment but in a small minority of cases this isn't enough and
athletes turn to banned substances to enhance their performance.
This is a very difficult area as there is constant scrutiny in cases
where the decisions made turns out to be wrong. This could be due to
the amount of money in professional sports, which had led to cases of
litigation when the tests have been wrong.
Many governing bodies initially set up a contract system between
athletes and officials so that there was a regulatory system based
around dopi...
... middle of paper ...
... but as
long as governing bodies have procedures in place to act as a
deterrent, then that may in itself act as a method of achieving
commitment to the removal of drug cheats from sport.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
· O'Leary. J., 'Drugs and Doping in Sport: Socio-legal perspectives'
Cavendish 2001
· 'Strict liability- Drug rules of sports governing bodies' Wise.
A.N., N.L.J,
· 'Drugs in sport-chains of custody' Grayson E., N.L.J 1995 145 (6679)
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[1] O'Leary. J., 'Drugs and Doping in Sport: Socio-legal perspectives'
2001 Cavendish
[2] As above
[3] New Law Journal 2/8/96, "Strict liability- drug rules of sports
governing bodies" Aaron N Wise
[4] O'Leary. J., 'Drugs and Doping in Sport: Socio-legal perspectives'
2001 Cavendish
Professional athletes, throughout history, have been exalted for their outstanding abilities and achievements in sports. Unfortunately, many athletes have turned to anabolic steroids in order to give them an edge, a boost their athletic performance. Starting with the 1954 World Weightlifting Championships, where the Soviets unexpectedly dominated their lifting classes with the use of steroids, it has become increasingly popular among athletes to cheat with the help of this drug. Although the appeal to steroid use is evident when observing how it increases someone’s athletic abilities, many users fail to consider the detrimental side effects of the drug. Also, in my opinion, athletes should be expected to perform based upon their natural abilities, opposed to abilities enhanced by anabolic steroids. Ultimately, anabolic steroids should continue to be illegal in professional sports due to their major health risks and the unfair advantage they serve players.
Citius, Altius, Fortius is the motto of the Olympic games. Translated from Greek, it means "Faster, Higher, Stronger". Recently, Olympic contenders have been doing everything they can to live up to that motto. Most do it by training hour after hour, each day. Others try to do it by illegally taking performance enhancing drugs. This is why we need to test for drugs at the Olympics. Drug Testing in the Olympics began only recently in the 1968 Games held in Mexico1. Drugs are banned for two very good reasons: the use of drugs produces an unfair advantage, and it is hazardous to the athlete to take them. While drug testing is now commonplace, the procedures are still fairly primitive and arouse much controversy2. We all remember the Andreea Raducan situation from the Sydney Olympics. She unknowingly had consumed a performing enhancing drug that was in her cold medication. Her medal was revoked as soon as the drug test results got back.3 While Andreea was caught, many others who intentionally "doped up" weren't Many of the drugs or procedures out there, still can't be tested for, and more and more athletes are cheating. Most of the drugs and procedures have adverse long term effects, some resulting in death. The drug tests are detrimental to the existence of the Olympics and need to be upheld at all costs.
Throughout history humans created sporting events to properly measure the talents and effort put forth by our greatest athletes. Unfortunately a recent trend has been a spark for concern within the professional sporting world which can will only lead to more controversy. This trend is the use and attractiveness of performance enhancing drugs, otherwise known as PEDs. PEDs, while just an enhancement to natural talents, is an unwarranted unnatural agent that is eroding the cohesion within the professional sporting world. These athletes who are using PEDs are doing tremendous damage to their ethical and moral integrity, as well as, the sports integrity, at which they are in. They are creating monstrous persona’s which mirrors the actions of Dr. Jekyll form the novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The athlete’s means of becoming the greatest of all time, to reach new heights in their career, or simply to gain a competitive edge, is not justifiable in almost any
This article effectively communicates the idea to its audience, of how large of a problem the use of performance enhancing drugs has become in sports. Using logos mostly to persuade the reader, Sullivan conveys his position with multiple examples of how things have changed throughout the years and the possible negative effects that may arise in the future. The author presents a need for intervention, but also feels discouraged about the possibility of one happening in the near future, that doesn’t involve punishment by which he ends by stating “pass the syringe”(Sullivan 3), symbolizing defeat in the fight against illegal drugs.
Latiner, C. (n.d.). STEROIDS AND DRUG ENHANCEMENTS IN SPORTS. THE REAL PROBLEM AND THE REAL SOLUTION. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from https://laworgs.depaul.edu/journals/sports_law/Documents/Steroid%20Problem%20by%20Laitner.pdf
Doping is the use of illegal substances that is harmful to athlete's health and is capable of enhancing performance. Doping also refers to the presence of drugs in the athlete's blood or urine. So, doping in other words is cheating and can be detrimental to the individual reputation and the sport. There are two types of doping blood and chemical. Blood doping is when drugs are placed into red blood cells, oxygen carriers, and related blood products to enhance an athlete's performance (1 Anonymous). Effects of blood doping include kidney damage, allergic reactions, and blood clots (1Anonymous). Chemical doping refers to attempts to change samples used in drug testing (1Anonymous). Despite the many risks the use of drugs among athletes is still prevalent.
The Health and fitness industry have many ethical issues involved which was very interesting to me. I have never purchased a membership at a health club, but from the reading I learned a lot about how they operate. It amazed me that health clubs push their sales representatives to get 200-300 new members a month (Amend, 1992). This is a large amount of people for such a short amount a time, which means some members are not fully aware of the fine print of the membership agreement. Also the reading mentions that more than half of instructors at these clubs do not have valid certification (Copeland et al, 1988),. This is unethical because the members pay each month for the service of a qualified staff member to assist them in exercise and fitness. Safety of the members could also be at risk working out with a non-qualified trainer. Learning how these companies do business make me want to hold off as long as possible to join a gym.
Athletes are often pressured from an early age to be better than the rest. In sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and soccer, the need to be “great” is becoming a dominant factor in the world of sports. Regardless of which sport is chosen, the stigma to be great is slowly surpassing the main goal of sportsmanship among team players. With the notion that being great is the key; many athletes, both amateur and professional, are relying on steroids to help bring them to the top of their game. Steroid use can cause damaging effects to the body and preventing this may save the lives and careers of current and future students. This essay is written to explain the problems of steroids in sports and the solutions in which to help deter or stop this problem.
In many high schools around the country, student athletes are using drugs. “The percent of students that have drunk alcohol is 72.5% while the number of students who have used marijuana is 36.8%” (Report: Nearly Half of High School Students Using Drugs, Alcohol). The students believe that since they are athletes that they do not need to abide by the rules because they feel more superior and that the narcotic will not hurt or affect them. Implementing random drug tests for athletes will create a positive image and not hurt others or themselves. Schools need to have drug tests for student athletes because drugs effect relationships, using drugs have consequences, and lastly they have a major effect on the body.
Every athlete has probably at some point has been told to represent their school with class. Athletes are held to high standards, they are expected do the right thing on and off the field, and to lead others by setting a good example. As a role model for younger athletes and other students, should our athletes be required to prove they are being responsible even when no one is watching? Should we drug test all of our athletes to ensure they are making the right choices and setting a good example for younger athletes?
Longman, Jere. "OLYMPICS; Drug-Testing Agency Tells of a Steroid Scheme by U.S. Athletes." The New York Times. The New York Times. 17 Oct. 2003. Web. 27 Feb. 2010.
Athletes are always searching for ways to enhance their performance. Recently, beginning in the 1950s, that search has included the use of illegal substances like steroids and growth hormones. Illegal substances have been used widely by athletes in hopes of achieving the desired Olympic gold medal or multi-million dollar contract. Some nations, for example the late East Germany in the 1970s and 1980s, have mandated the use of steroids by their athletes. The downside of using those illegal substances is that because they are illegal, getting caught using them can lead to losing that coveted gold medal, a lifetime ban from sports, and a total loss of honor and dignity.
...thlete under twenty-four hour surveillance is neither feasible nor lawful. Only when there are more accurate tests can the enforcement of drug rules and regulations be possible. As more sophisticated tests come to market, fewer drugs will escape detection. With the limited ability of current techniques to catch athletes red-handed, pressure must be put on the athletic community to reject doping. Until the athletic community refuses doping as a means to an end, little can be done to stop it from happening.
Drug use in sports is considered cheating. Doping has many historical backgrounds, but now it is on a larger scale in order to maximiz...
The usage of performance-enhancing drugs in sports is commonly known as Doping. Doping is banned worldwide in every sports administration and competitions and doping gives an unfair advantage to those using illegal substances, such as steroids to boost their performance. It also puts at stake the integrity of those athletes who do not use performance-enhancing drugs also known as “clean” athletes. In fact it seems that we’re now entering the era of performance-enhancing drugs within professional sports. Doping rids the true athletes of what they truly deserve and is wrong; because why should those who put in a hundred per cent of their effort, be outshone by individuals who are choosing to use substances to enhance their physical and mental abilities? Doping damages the sports industry as a whole because it has a serious physical and mental effects on the athletes, as well as damaging the idea of sportsmanship and it also breaks the trust of the fans, as they realise their idols are hypocrites.